Reasonable People: A Memoir

Kasten’s charming memoir, written in a series of engaging vignettes, effectively focuses on those moments, big and small, that mold a person into who they truly are. … succinct description is impressive throughout … vivid, generous detail … overall richness makes for gratifying reading … sophisticated and thought-provoking. - Kirkus Reviews The protagonist in this pseudonymous memoir is Anne Lang, born into a stable, solidly middle class family. Anne’s seemingly prosaic life as she grows up in the pre-feminist 1950s and turbulent ‘60s is revealed in snapshot fashion with the objectivity and intimacy of a hidden camera. The influence of parents, however reasonable, only goes so far in determining who an individual will become. Anne’s moral choices, her pride, stubbornness, and jealousy are primarily her own. Contemporary memoirs often divulge momentous secrets - the traumas and betrayals suffered in dysfunctional families and a judgmental world. Anne’s secrets are smaller and probably more common than she knows but all the more tormenting because such things are seldom spoken of or written about. Readers may recognize within themselves the very thoughts Anne hides and may find comfort in learning that they are shared.